If you’re still reading, you probably have a bed that’s more than seven years old, which is the age The Better Sleep Council says a mattress stops giving you the necessary support it should. After all, your body changes a lot in seven years, and your mattress should keep up with your needs. And although you’ve probably dreaded looking for a new bed since you bought the last one, just know that with the right information at hand, this shopping experience doesn’t have to be unpleasant. Just remember that more comfortable, restful nights await you.

Find your comfort zone. There are various levels of firmness for mattresses, such as firm, pillow top and plush. Firm mattresses provide more resistance against pressure from the sleep surface, making them as their name indicates, the firmest style of mattress. The plush models utilize various comfort layers to create a softer sleep surface. Lastly, the pillow top models utilize multiple layers of foams in the top upholstery to create especially soft, enveloping sleep surfaces. Just note, the top upholstery may be attached to the mattress in a variety of methods, resulting in pillow top models that feel and appear different.

Mattress Shopping Tips

Knowledge is power. Before you visit a store, go online and research mattress brands and styles.

The average person moves 40 to 60 times a night. Therefore, if you sleep with a partner, you should consider a queen or king-size set to accomodate the both of you comfortably.

Shop with your partner. Yes, getting him to come along might be tough, but it’ll be worth it. The two of you should test the mattress together and agree on preferences or at least come to a compromise.

Take your time. You’ll spend more hours in bed than on your couch. So don’t make a rash decision. Regret feels even worse after a sleepless night.

As a rule, you get what you pay for. You shouldn’t overpay or underpay. According to Consumer Reports, a quality queen-size innerspring mattress set costs about $1000. You could, however, spend literally tens of thousands of dollars on a luxury featherbed mattress.

Shop the sales. Mattress retailers are known for big discounts – especially around the holidays as well as seasonal. So check your local newspapers for the best savings.

Jargon smargon. The coil count reflects the amount of support in the mattress. For example, 300 coils would be less support than 700 coils. Also, for those of you sleeping with herky-jerky partners, more coils means better motion separation.

No need to flip. Most mattresses are now sold with only one sleep surface. These mattresses require less maintenance and are able to sustain their comfort and support for a longer period of time.